Surprising Factor Behind Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Most people associate heart attack with coronary artery blockage. Yet 50% of cardiovascular deaths originate from a condition called sudden cardiac arrest, which is the unexpected acute loss of heart function.

Sudden cardiac arrest is usually caused by an electrical disturbance that disrupts the heart’s rhythmic pumping action. When a cardiac arrest happens, blood flow to the entire body stops.

If not immediately treated, sudden cardiac arrest results in cessation of life. Survival rates remain low despite modern resuscitation attempts.

In a groundbreaking 2014 study, researchers measured testosterone and estrogen levels to correlate risk of sudden cardiac arrest. The findings revealed that lower levels of testosterone or higher levels of estrogen in men were strongly associated with greater risk of sudden cardiac arrest.

These revelations are significant because they provide a basis to identify men at risk for sudden cardiac arrest and implement preventative treatments, such as boosting deficient testosterone and suppressing excess estrogen.